salvage

By Callum Hoare - Express.co.uk

A Titanic breakthrough was made after a "monumental" piece of the vessel was saved, in what was described as a "miracle" for preserving history.

The British passenger liner famously sunk after hitting an iceberg shortly before midnight on April 14, 1912, in a devastating event that saw more than 1,500 people lose their lives. Its wreck was discovered in 1985 by a Franco-American expedition sponsored by the US Navy. 

The ship was split in two, and is still gradually disintegrating at the bottom of the North Atlantic, sparking concerns from experts who wanted to save it before it was lost forever.

And Channel 4's "Titanic: Into the Heart of the Wreck" detailed how, in 1994, diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet made a huge contribution in its survival bid. The narrator said: "He discovers an enormous piece of Titanic's hull lying on the ocean floor, measuring eight by seven metres and weighing 18 tonnes.

"Nicknamed the 'Big Piece', its recovery is a huge challenge, costing millions of dollars. "Nothing like this has ever been achieved by any archaeologist before.

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